An Act of: Death-Defying Affection 4/?
anonymous
February 17 2012, 16:08:15 UTC
“I know who you are. Anders has been greatly distressed by your absences these last few days. I had warned him that forming an emotional attachment to someone would be a hindrance to his cause, but I no longer disapprove of his desire to have a relationship with you. You are worthy of admiration, and your presence has exerted a beneficial influence on us both.”
Well, that was...something. The healer's spirit apparently approved of him and here he only now fully understood that Justice was capable of having his own opinions.
“However, now it seems that he is more distracted by your absence than your presence. It is only right that he should fight at your side when you battle your oppressors.”
Fenris shook his head, the tension in him easing somewhat and leaving him feeling bemused by the whole situation.
“My oppressors? I accompany Hawke on his various...ventures. I merely fight those who oppose us.”
“They have been demons, bandits, slavers, templars, and criminals. People who have wronged others. It is righteous to strike them down. And have you not sought out slavers to dispatch of them, even when you have not been asked to do so? ”
The spirit seemed to speak only in declaratives, even when it was asking a question. But Fenris replied anyway,
“Sometimes I do, yes.”
“Then you are assuring that they cannot enslave more people. That is justice.”
If Anders had been living with this relentless voice in his head it was no wonder he could be so difficult at times.
“You are not entirely wrong, but you are not entirely right either. I hunt slavers because they would hunt me if they knew I was here.”
“You could simply run, instead you confront your enemies. Doing so prevents them from subjugating others, whether you intend to or not.”
The sun had begun to creep across the Chantry garden but it still hadn't touched the shadowed corner where he was sitting. Fenris shifted on the cold bench as he considered the rest of last night’s odd discussion. The spirit had questioned him about his experience as a slave, had scolded him a bit more for leaving Anders behind, and had pushed the idea of fighting back against his oppressors. The elf had gotten drawn in to the exchange and was soon arguing with it as freely as he did with the healer. Was that foolish of him? Was Justice really a demon… was this what it was like being tempted by a demon? If so, it wasn’t at all like he had imagined. The demon had offered him nothing he wanted, just a giant burden to carry.
He had seen plenty of mages succumbing to demons, becoming abominations…when the demon in the Harimann’s basement had made its offer to Hawke and Sebastian it had felt like he thought a demon would, manipulating their desires and offering them what was difficult to refuse.
But, to seek an end to slavery? He had no difficulty refusing such a thing, it was just asking for a short life filled with frustration and besides, he still wasn't sure what to do with his own freedom. And it hadn’t manipulated him, it had argued and scolded. He felt an upwelling of sympathy for the healer, understanding a little better the voice that drove him.
Justice. Fenris wasn’t sure he even believed in such a thing. He wanted to ask it what good it did, being a spirit of Justice in the Fade when there was no justice evident out here in the real world. In fact, that was a disquieting realization, to think that he would speak to it again if presented with the opportunity. That he wanted to speak to it again, to ask it the questions that he had been too shaken up to think of, to satisfy his curiosity. Was that how the demons with nothing better to offer got to you?
He was more thankful than ever that Hawke had not taken him into the fade to rescue that elf mage. Isabela had spoken to him later about the offer the demon had made her, and how she accepted even as she knew it was a lie because she wanted it so badly she couldn’t turn down even the smallest hope that it might be true. He had thought at the time that he would have been able to resist, that he would never fall prey to a demon, but there had been the smallest sliver of doubt. Now he had spent an evening chatting with something from the fade, so he wasn’t sure his own judgment was to be trusted.
Well, that was...something. The healer's spirit apparently approved of him and here he only now fully understood that Justice was capable of having his own opinions.
“However, now it seems that he is more distracted by your absence than your presence. It is only right that he should fight at your side when you battle your oppressors.”
Fenris shook his head, the tension in him easing somewhat and leaving him feeling bemused by the whole situation.
“My oppressors? I accompany Hawke on his various...ventures. I merely fight those who oppose us.”
“They have been demons, bandits, slavers, templars, and criminals. People who have wronged others. It is righteous to strike them down. And have you not sought out slavers to dispatch of them, even when you have not been asked to do so? ”
The spirit seemed to speak only in declaratives, even when it was asking a question. But Fenris replied anyway,
“Sometimes I do, yes.”
“Then you are assuring that they cannot enslave more people. That is justice.”
If Anders had been living with this relentless voice in his head it was no wonder he could be so difficult at times.
“You are not entirely wrong, but you are not entirely right either. I hunt slavers because they would hunt me if they knew I was here.”
“You could simply run, instead you confront your enemies. Doing so prevents them from subjugating others, whether you intend to or not.”
The sun had begun to creep across the Chantry garden but it still hadn't touched the shadowed corner where he was sitting. Fenris shifted on the cold bench as he considered the rest of last night’s odd discussion. The spirit had questioned him about his experience as a slave, had scolded him a bit more for leaving Anders behind, and had pushed the idea of fighting back against his oppressors. The elf had gotten drawn in to the exchange and was soon arguing with it as freely as he did with the healer. Was that foolish of him? Was Justice really a demon… was this what it was like being tempted by a demon? If so, it wasn’t at all like he had imagined. The demon had offered him nothing he wanted, just a giant burden to carry.
He had seen plenty of mages succumbing to demons, becoming abominations…when the demon in the Harimann’s basement had made its offer to Hawke and Sebastian it had felt like he thought a demon would, manipulating their desires and offering them what was difficult to refuse.
But, to seek an end to slavery? He had no difficulty refusing such a thing, it was just asking for a short life filled with frustration and besides, he still wasn't sure what to do with his own freedom. And it hadn’t manipulated him, it had argued and scolded. He felt an upwelling of sympathy for the healer, understanding a little better the voice that drove him.
Justice. Fenris wasn’t sure he even believed in such a thing. He wanted to ask it what good it did, being a spirit of Justice in the Fade when there was no justice evident out here in the real world. In fact, that was a disquieting realization, to think that he would speak to it again if presented with the opportunity. That he wanted to speak to it again, to ask it the questions that he had been too shaken up to think of, to satisfy his curiosity. Was that how the demons with nothing better to offer got to you?
He was more thankful than ever that Hawke had not taken him into the fade to rescue that elf mage. Isabela had spoken to him later about the offer the demon had made her, and how she accepted even as she knew it was a lie because she wanted it so badly she couldn’t turn down even the smallest hope that it might be true. He had thought at the time that he would have been able to resist, that he would never fall prey to a demon, but there had been the smallest sliver of doubt. Now he had spent an evening chatting with something from the fade, so he wasn’t sure his own judgment was to be trusted.
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